Production and consumption systems in the European Union have large, global impacts on the environment. More sustainable ways of satisfying our needs are emerging, but they need more support, according to a new assessment.

Transforming a bottle into a jacket may sound like magic, but it may be easier than you think. A new video from the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows some of the ingenious ways a plastic water bottle can be reused or recycled.

How do we create a performing economy that creates jobs and ensures our well-being, yet respects the limits of our planet? This question is considered in the latest edition of Signals, an annual publication from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Effective environmental policy should be based on robust information on trends. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published two reports today which demonstrate how indicators and environmental accounting support policy and decision making.

The average European directly uses approximately 130 litres of water per day. Better access to data on water supply and treatment may help Europe use this precious resource more efficiently, according to a new report on water utilities.

There are several methods for accounting for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The European Environment Agency (EEA) explains the key characteristics of different emissions accounting methods, highlighting the need for methodological improvements as well as better data coverage and quality.

Meeting European demands for food, water, energy and housing exerts major pressures on the environment, indirectly affecting human health and well-being. To reduce the impact of Europe's resource use, a new assessment from the European Environment Agency (EEA) reflects on integrating different policy areas and improved spatial planning.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is launching a new competition for artistic depictions of waste in Europe. Each European generates approximately half a tonne of household waste on average. A lot of this so-called waste is actually a useful resource, but only two fifths is recycled, according to a recent analysis.

In 2010, European households consumed almost 13 % more energy than two decades ago and generated 25 % of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. This trend must be reversed for the EU to reach its goal of reducing primary energy consumption by 20 % by 2020. Today, the European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes a report which investigates what it takes to achieve energy savings through changing consumer behaviour and launches an online survey to know more about society's views on the topic.

Austria, Germany and Belgium recycled the largest proportion of municipal waste in Europe in 2010. Although some countries have rapidly increased recycling rates, Europe is still wasting vast quantities of valuable resources by sending them to landfill, and many countries risk falling short of legally binding recycling targets.

The consumption and production of goods and services is currently unsustainable in Europe, with ‘decoupling’ of environmental pressures from economic growth insufficient to date. A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) describes methods for quantifying environmental pressures caused by European consumption patterns and economic production sectors. These methods can help target decoupling actions.

At last week’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, delegates did not agree to any ambitious treaties or deadlines for dealing with pressing issues such as climate change, food and water scarcity. However, there were many positive signs for the future global environment.

Humanity’s growing appetite for bigger houses, overseas travel, food and consumer goods is the main cause of our most pressing environmental problems, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) which considers the links between the environment and consumption.

While much of Europe is still suffering the effects of economic recession, a new report argues that efforts to increase prosperity should not damage the environment. Indeed, Europe’s economy depends on a healthy environment, including the materials and services provided by the natural world, according to the new edition of Signals from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Consumption of products and services impacts the environment in many different ways. For example, the things we buy contribute, directly or indirectly through the product lifecycle, to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and resource depletion in Europe and other regions.

Humans are consuming the world’s limited resources at increasingly rapid rate, and Europe is particularly reliant on imported goods to sustain its high levels of consumption. On World Environment Day, the European Environment Agency (EEA) draws attention to Europe’s resource use and offers tips to reduce it.

Economic development in the Western Balkan countries is putting additional strains on the environment, affecting primarily resource use, waste and biodiversity. A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) provides a detailed analysis of the environmental pressures and forces at play and urges policy-makers to take action towards sustainable development.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is teaming up with Roskilde Festival to give thousands of music fans visiting Denmark this week relevant, up-to-date information about Europe's environment.The Roskilde Festival is northern Europe's biggest music event, drawing 100 000 visitors from around the world and bringing together some of the world's leading rock, pop, soul, R&B, electronic and hip hop artists.

A new EEA report 'Waste without borders in the EU' examines the increase in cross-border waste shipments and the drivers behind them. It also reveals that the number of reported illegal shipments of waste is increasing. But while the European Union can do better in tracking electronic waste as well as other hazardous and problematic "waste streams", almost all waste generated in the EU that needs to be disposed is in fact disposed within EU borders.

'Europe's citizens represent only 7 % of Earth's total population, but consume 15 % of the world's energy, 15 % of the meat production and 24 % of the paper produced in the planet', said Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), speaking at the opening of Green Week in Brussels this afternoon.

Housing, food and drink, and mobility have the greatest environmental impact over their lifecycle, the EEA and the European Commission have shown. This concern brought together European governments, researchers, NGOs and business under the same roof during a conference held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, back in September last year.

Improved waste management is already contributing to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to a new EEA study launched today at the international conference on waste and climate change in London.

Breaking the link between economic growth and its environmental impacts is one of the key challenges facing economies in South East Europe (SEE), Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA), says a new report.

The forthcoming EU Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production should include clear sustainability targets, concrete steps to internalise environmental costs into prices and a directive on green public procurement. These were three top-priority recommendations identified during the discussions last week at the conference 'Time for Action — Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production in Europe' which brought together 100 experts from governments in Europe, researchers, NGOs and business.

Cost and lack of information are preventing many European households from using devices that can substantially cut their water consumption, according to a new European Environment Agency report on sustainable water use.

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We are using more and more of natural resources due to population growth, lifestyle changes and increasing personal consumption. To tackle our unsustainable consumption, we need to address the entire ...